Today, I am so tired and just, well, over it. Our office closes tomorrow at noon and I cannot wait. Been running on adrenaline for the last few weeks, trying to get so many tasks done before the break that I haven’t done a thing about Christmas presents or cards this year…

My plans are to go home with my Canadian buddies Todd and Karen tomorrow – Christmas Eve – after work (they’ve very kindly invited me to spend my ‘orphans’ Christmas with them since I’m so far from family), and then I aim to get a really early night. I shall sleep like the proverbial Christmas log.

Up betimes on Christmas morning for Canadian blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, and I fully intend to eat my (newly reduced) body-weight in said carbohydrate niceness. Then we’ll open presents or, in my case, Amazon voucher emails, and chill out by the pool. We’ll be underwater most of Boxing Day, scuba diving in the harbour here in Sydney.

No idea what I’m doing for New Year yet. I can barely think past tonight, let alone ahead to a week’s time.

One little American girl will be arriving in a few hours and opening her beautiful present from her Australian “aunt”…so you did at least one thing about Christmas presents. Get a good rest, kid; you have earned it.

Oh, my poor tired darling. I’m so crap I haven’t even replied to your lovely Christmass-y e-mail of 3 days ago… Send my love to the fabulous Canadians, make sure you give Todd an extra hug from me (just so that I can imagine him wincing), get some shut-eye, then go and blow bubbles. You and I will treat ourselves to another spectacular carb blow-out in 2011, if I ever get off this frozen isle again…xx